Judge refuses to move police officer's trial in Castile case

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A judge has declined to move the trial of a Minnesota police officer charged with fatally shooting a black motorist last summer.

Attorneys for St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez wanted his May 30 trial moved out of Ramsey County, where Philando Castile was shot. Castile's girlfriend livestreamed the bloody aftermath on Facebook after the shooting in Falcon Heights.

But Judge William H. Leary III rejected the request Thursday after hearing arguments earlier this week.

Yanez's attorneys argued that the officer, who is Latino, couldn't get a fair trial in Ramsey County because of pretrial publicity.

Prosecutors said moving the trial wouldn't achieve anything because the case received widespread publicity.

Yanez has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and two other felonies. His attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.